Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters



June 6, 1961 w. RIELANDER TOUCH ADJUSTMENT ARRANGEMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 16, 1960 Fig.2

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June 6, 1961 w. RIELANDER TOUCH ADJUSTMENT ARRANGEMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 16, 1960 Fig.4

IN VE N TOR United States Patent 2,987,161 TOUCH ADIUSTh [ENT ARRANGEMENT FOR TYPEWRITERS Werner Rielander, Wilhelmshaven, Germany, assignor to Olympia Werke A.G., Wilhelmshaven, Germany Filed Mar. 16, 1960, Ser. No. 15,374 Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 17, 1959 15 Claims. '(Cl. 197-33) these disadvantages of prior-art constructions, and to provide a touch adjustment arrangement consisting of few simple and inexpensive parts which take 'up very little space in the machine so that the device is suitable for portable typewriters.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a touch adjustment device which is adjustable so that an actuated typelever action may encounter resilient resistance at dilferent moments of its movement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a touch adjustment arrangement which is manually adjustable so that the resilient resistance against displacement of a typelever action may be increased either during the entire operation of the typelever action, or only during a smaller or greater part of the movement of the typelever action.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a spring-loaded member which resiliently counteracts the movement of all typelever actions, and in addition thereto, a resilient means which can be adjusted to oppose movement of the typelever actions only during part .of the movement thereof.

With these objects in view, the present invention relates to a touch adjustment arrangement :for typewriters, and comprises a support; a plurality of .typelever actions mounted on the support; a preferably spring-loaded member extending across the typelever actions and being displaced during operation of the same; a manually operated adjusting means movable between a plurality of control positions; and a resilient means connected to the adjusting means for movement with the same between a plurality of adjusted positions. The resilient means has a portion located in the path of movement of a part of the above mentioned member and is located at different places on the path in the adjusted positions thereof. Consequently, the resilient means is resiliently displaced at different moments of the movement of an actuated typelever action to oppose such movement.

In this manner, the resistance of the resilient means is added to the resistance of the spring-loaded member, but the moment in which such added resistance becomes effective can be selected by setting the manually operated adjusting means.

The adjusted positions of the resilient means may include a position in which it abuts the spring-loaded member, and the resilient means may be pretensioned in the abutting position so that a particularly great resistance is encountered by the operator as soon as the fingers actuate the keys of the typelever actions.

:In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adjusting means is a lever mounted-on the same shaft 2 which supports the key levers "of the'typeleveractions. The spring-loaded member includes a bar extending in transverse direction across all typelever actions, and the resilient means is a coil spring having a loop-shaped end portion into which a pin on the spring-loaded member projects.

Arresting means 'are built into the support to arrest the adjusting lever means in the control positions thereof, and due to the fact that the arresting means are located within the support, no additional space is required in the typewriter.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention 'are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in "which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary 'front view, partly in section, and illustrating the arresting means;

FIG. 3 is a side view, partly in section, illustrating one operational position of the adjusting means; and

FIG. 4 is a side view, partly in section, illustrating another operational position of the adjusting means in which greater manual force is required for actuating the keys.

Referring now 'to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3 which illustrate the device in the normal inoperative position, a support 1 extends in transverse direction through the typewriter, and has a row of upper slots 1a, a row of lower slots 1b, and "a deeper slot 10. A shaft 6 passes through the slots 1a and supports the key levers 2 of a set of typelever actions for turning movement. Another shaft '40 passes through the slots 1b and supports the intermediate levers 3 of the typelever actions for turning movement. Each key lever 2 is connected by a spring 2a to an arm 3a of the respective intermediate lever 3, and by a wire link 11 to the other arm of the respective lever 3. Depression of the key lever2 of each typelever action will effect turning of the intermediate lever 3 about shaft 4c in counterclockwise direction, resulting in the actuation of a typelever, not shown.

A pair of arm means 4 is mounted .at the ends of shaft 40, only one arm means 4 being shown. A bar 412 "is mounted on the pair of arm means 4 and extends across all typelever actions. Members 4, 4b is springloadedand tends to turn in counterclockwise direction so that bar 412 abuts arms 3a of the intermediate levers 3 of all typelever actions which are mounted on support 1. When one of the key levers 2 is actuated, the respective intermediate lever 3 will turn, so that the respective arm 3a displaces bar 4b and thereby turns arm means 4 in counterclockwise direction against the action of spring means 44, which act on arm means 4 and tend to turn arm means 4 in clockwise direction.

An adjusting means 5 is mounted on shaft 6 for turning movement between a plurality of control positions. Adjusting means 5 has a finger-engaging portion 5a, a sector-shaped arm '5b located in slot 10, and another arm 50 to which a coil spring 7 is attached. The other end of coil spring 7 is loop-shaped and defines an elongated opening 7b. A part of the spring-loaded member 4, 4b, illustrated to be a projecting pin 4a, is located in the opening 7b.

The support 1 has a bore 1d which extends transverse to the slot 1c. A catch member, illustrated to be a ball 8, is located in the bore 1d and is urged by a spring 9 against the arm 5b of the adjusting lever means-5. .Arm 5b has a plurality of recesses 5e which are respectively located opposite catch member 8 in the control positions of adjusting means '5. A threaded plug 10 is threaded into a portion of bore 1d, and can be adjusted to vary the tension of spring 9. When the manually operated portion a of the adjusting means 5 is operated, adjusting means 5 will successively assume four different control positions, while catch 8 will snap into one of the recesses Se in each control position of the adjusting means '5, and hold the same in the adjusted position. Finally, a transverse projection 5d of the adjusting means 5 will abut against the surface of support 1 and limit further turning movement of adjusting means 5. Similarly, arm 50 has a transverse portion abutting the support 1 in the other terminal position of adjusting means 5.

When adjusting means 5 is turned between its control positions, arm 50 moves and displaces spring means 7, and thereby the end portion 7a relative to the pin 4a which is located in the opening 7b of the loop-shaped end portion of spring means 7.

FIG. 3 shows a terminal position of the adjusting means -5 corresponding to a light touch, as indicated by the minus sign on the finger engaging portion 5a. Pin 4a is spaced a considerable distance from the end portion 7a when spring means 7 is lowered as shown in FIG. 3. When adjusting means 5 is turned in clockwise direction to the position shown in FIG. 4, spring 7 is raised and pin 4a will be located near the end portion 7a. It is possible to have pin 40: abut end portion 7a in the normal inoperative position shown in FIG. 3, or to even pretension spring 7 in the terminal position of adjusting means 5 indicated by the plus sign on finger engagement portion 5a and illustrated in FIG. 4.

'The device operates as follows: In the inoperative position shown in FIG. 3, the spring-loaded member 4, 4a, 4b abuts against all arms 3a of levers 3 of the typelever actions, and consequently urges the typelever actions to the normal inoperative position shown in FIG. 3. When any one of the typelever actions is actuated by depression of key lever 2, the respective arm 3a moves downwardly and displaces bar 4b and thereby turns arm means 4 about shaft 4:: against the action of spring 44.

During such turning movement of the spring-loaded means 4, 4a, 4b, projecting pin 4a moves in the loopshaped portion of spring 7, and more particularly in the vopening'7b if the adjusting means 5 is set as shown in FIG. 3. Near the end of the movement of the typelever action, pin 4a will abut end portion 7a of spring means 7, and encounter resilient resistance which is added to the resistance of the spring-loaded bar 415. However, since this added resilient resistance becomes effective near the end of the movement of key lever 2, it does not substantially change the touch characteristics of the typelever action although slightly modifies the impression force. In the intermediate control position of adjusting means 5, portion 7a is moved closer to projecting pin 4a, so that the resilient force of spring 7 is sooner added to the resistance of the spring-loaded member 4, 4b so that the operator encounters greater resistance. In the position of FIG. 4, portion 7a may abut pin 4a, or be spaced only a very short distance from the same so that in the moment of depression of key lever 2, or very soon thereafter, the force of spring 7 is added to the resistance of the springloaded member 4, 4b. In this manner, considerable resistance is encountered by the operator.

It will be noted that the loop-shaped portion of spring 7 is located along the path of pin 4a, and is shifted along such path when adjusting means 5 is set to a difierent control position. Due to the fact that spring 7 is articulated to the arm 5!: of adjusting means 5, the loop-shaped portion will be guided by pin 4a so as to be located along the path of movement of the same.

It is also possible to adjust the adjusting means 5 and spring means 7 in such a manner that in the position illustratedin FIG. 3, pin 4a does not engage portion 7a at all, while in the position of FIG. 4 portion 7a may abut with pretension on pin 4a. In this manner, a particularly wide range of adjustment of the touch of the key levers is assured with a very simple structure.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of touch adjustment arrangements differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a touch control arrangement including a spring which becomes effective at selected moments of movement of an actuated typelever action, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the .present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured Letters Patent is:

l Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters, comprising, in combination, a support; a plurality of type.- lever actions mounted on said support; a member movably mounted on said support and extending across said typelever actions, said member being engaged and moved along a path by each typelever action when the same is operated, said member having a part; a manually operated adjusting means mounted on said support for movement between a plurality of control positions; and a resilient means having a portion located in said path and connected to said adjusting means for movement with the same between a plurality of adjusted positions in which said porportion is located at different places on said path so as to be spaced different distances from said member, said portion having an elongated opening in which said part is located whereby said portion of said resilient means in different adjusted positions is resiliently displaced by said part of said member at different moments of the movement of an actuated typelever action to oppose such movement.

2. Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters, comprising, in combination, a support; a plurality of typelever actions mounted on said support; a member movably mounted on said support and extending across said typelever actions, said member being engaged and moved by each typelever action when the same is operated, said member having a projection moving along a path; a manually operated adjusting means mounted on said support for movement between a plurality of control positions;

and a spring having one end portion attached to said mounted on said support and extending across the typelever actions, said member being engaged and moved by each typelever action when the same is operated, said member having a projection moving along a path; a manually operated adjusting means mounted on said support for movement between a plurality of control positions; and a spring having one end portion attached to said adjusting means and another loop-shaped end portionin which said projection is located, said spring being movable with said adjusting means between a plurality of adjusted positions including at least one position in which said loop-shaped end portion abuts said projection of said members, and other positions in which said projection is located at different places of said loop-shaped end portion whereby said loop-shaped end portion is resiliently displaced by said projection of said member at difiierent moments of the movement of an actuated typelever action to oppose such movement.

'4. Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters, comprising, in combination, a support; a plurality of typelever actions mounted on said support; a spring-loaded member :movably mounted on said support and extending across said typelever actions, said spring-loaded member being engaged and moved along a path by each typelever action when the same is operated while resiliently-opposing such movement, said member havinga'part; a manually operated adjustingmeans mounted on said support for movement between a plurality of control positions; and a resilient means having a portion located in said path and connected to said adjusting means for movement with the same between a plurality of adjusted positions in which said portion is located at different places on said path so as to be spaced different distances from said member, said portion having an elongated opening in which said part is located whereby said portion of said resilient means in different adjusted positions is resiliently displaced by said part of said member at different moments of the movement of an actuated typelever action to oppose such movement.

5. Touch-adjustment arrangement for typewriters, comprising, in combination, a support; a plurality of typelever actions mounted on said support; a spring-loaded member movably mounted on said support and extending across said typelever actions, said spring-loaded member being engaged and moved by each typelever action when the said is operated while resiliently opposing such movement, said member having a projection moving along a path; a manually operated adjusting means mounted on said support for movement between a plurality of control positions; and a spring having one end portion attached to said adjusting means and another loop-shaped end portion in which said projection is located, said spring being movable with said adjusting means between a plurality of adjusted positions in which said projection is located at difierent places of said loop-shaped end portion whereby said loop-shaped end portion is resiliently displaced by said projection of said member at different moments of the movement of an actuated typelever action to oppose such movement.

-6. Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters, comprising, in combination, a support; a plurality of typelever actions mounted on said support; a spring-loaded member including arm means mounted on said support for turning movement, a bar extending across said typelever actions and engaged and moved by each actuated type lever action while resiliently opposing such movement, and a projection on said arm means moving along a circular path when said member is moved; a manually operated adjusting means mounted on said support for movement between a plurality of control positions; and a spring having one end portion attached to said adjusting means and another loop-shaped end portion in which said projection is located, said spring being movable with said adjusting means between a plurality of adjusted positions in which said projection is located at different places of said loop-shaped end portion whereby said loop-shaped end portion is resiliently displaced by said projection of said member at different moments of the movement of an actuated 'typelever action to oppose such movement.

7. Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters comprising, in combination, a plurality of typelever actions, each typelever action including a first lever and a second lever; a first transverse shaft supporting said first levers for turning movement; a second transverse shaft supporting said second levers for turning movement; a springloaded member including .a bar extending across said second levers, said bar :being engaged and displaced by each second lever when the respective typelever action is actuated to oppose the movement of the typelever action and resiliently-abutting said second levers; a manually operated adjusting means mounted on said first shaft for movement between a plurality ofcontrol positions; arresting means for detachably arresting said adjusting means in each of said control positions; and a resilient means having an engaging portion located in the path of movement of a part of said spring-loaded member and connected to said adjusting means for movement with the same between :a plurality 'of adjusted positions in "which said engaging portion is located at different places of the path along which said part .rnoves during movement of said spring-loaded member whereby said engagingportion of said resilient means in different adjusted positions is engaged and resiliently displaced by -said part at difier'ent moments of the movement of an actuated typelever action to oppose such movement.

.8. Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters comprising, in combination, an elongated support having a plurality of slots; a plurality of typelever actions, each typelever action including a first lever and a second lever partly located in said slots; a first transverse shaft mounted on said support extending through some'of said slots and supporting said first levers for turning movement; a second transverse shaft mounted on said support 'extending through-some of said slots and supporting said second levers for turning movement; a spring-loaded member including arm means mounted on said second shaft for turning movement, and a bar extending across said second levers, said bar being engaged and displaced by each second =lever when the respective typelever action is actuated to oppose the movement of the typelever action and resiliently abutting said second levers; a manually operated adjusting means mounted on said first shaft for movement between a plurality of control positions; :arresting means for detachably arresting said adjusting means in each of said control positions; and a resilient means having an engaging portion located in the path of movement of a part ofsaid arm means :of said spring-loaded member and connected to said adjusting means for movement with the same between a plurality of adjusted positions in which said engaging portion is located at different places "of the path along which said part moves during movement of said spring-loaded member whereby said engaging portion of said resilient means in different adjusted positions is engaged and resiliently displaced by said part at different moments of the movement of an actuated typelever action to oppose such movement.

9. Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters com prising, in combination, an elongated support having a plurality of slots and having a bore extending transverse to one of said slots; a plurality of typelever actions, each typelever action including a first lever and 'a second lever partly located in said slots; a first transverse shaft mounted on said support extending through some of said slots and supporting said first levers for turning movement; a second transverse shaft mounted on said support extending through some of said slots and supporting said second levers for turning movement; a spring-loaded member including arm means mounted on said second shaft for turning movement, and a bar extending across said second levers, said bar being engaged and displaced by each second lever when the respective typelever action is actuated to oppose the movement of the typelever action and resiliently abutting said second levers; a manually operated adjusting means mounted on said first shaft for movement between a plurality of control positions and including a portion located in said one slot of said support and having a plurality of recesses respectively associated with said control positions; arresting means for detachably arresting said adjusting means in each of said control positions including a catch member located in said bore engaging said portion of said adjusting means, a plug closing said bore and a spring in said bore urging said catch member to engage one of said recesses and abutting said plug; and a resilient means having an engaging portion located in the path of movement of a part of said arm means of said spring-loaded member and connected to said adjusting means for movement with the same between a plurality of adjusted positions in which said engaging portion is located at difierent places of the path along which said part moves during movement of said spring-loaded member whereby said engaging portion ofsaid resilient means in diiferent adjusted positions. is engaged and resiliently displaced by said part at different moments of the movement of an actuated typelever action to oppose such movement.

10. An arrangement as set forth in claim 9 wherein at least a portion of said bore is threaded, and wherein said plug is threaded into the threaded bore portion and can be adjusted for adjusting the tension of said spring.

11. Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters comprising, in combination, a plurality of typelever actions, each typelever action including a first lever and a second lever; a first transverse shaft supporting said first levers for turning movement; a second transverse shaft supporting said second levers for turning movement; a spring-loaded member including a bar extending across said second levers, said bar being engaged and displaced by each second lever when the respective typelever action is actuated to oppose the movement of the typelever action and resiliently abutting said second levers; a manually operated adjusting means mounted on said first shaft for movement between a plurality of control positions; arresting means for detachably arresting said adjusting means in each of said control positions; and a coil-spring means having one end portion articulated to said adjusting means, and another elongated loop-shaped end portion, a part of said spring-loaded member being located in said loop-shaped end portion, said spring means being movable with said adjusting means between a plurality of adjusted positions in which said loop-shaped end portion is guided by said part and located at different places of the path along which said part moves during movement of said spring-loaded member whereby said loop-shaped end portion of said spring means in different adjusted positions is engaged and resiliently displaced bysaid part at different moments of the movement of the actuated typelever action to oppose such movement.

12. Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters comprising, in combination, an elongated support having a plurality of slots; a plurality of typelever actions, each typelever action including a first lever and a second lever partly located in said slots; a first transverse shaft mounted on said support extendingthrough some of said slots and supporting said first levers for turning movement; a second transverse shaft mounted on said support extending through some of said slots and supporting said second levers for turning movement; a spring-loaded member including arm means mounted on said second shaft for turning movement, and a bar extending across said second levers, said bar being engaged and displaced by each second'lever when the respective typelever action is actuated to oppose the movement of the typelever action and resiliently abutting said second levers; a manually operated adjusting means mounted on said first shaft for movement between a plurality of control positions; arresting means for detachably arresting said adjusting means in each of said control positions; and a coil spring means having one end portion articulated to said adjusting means, and another elongated loop-shaped end portion, a part of said arm means of said springloaded member being located in said loop-shaped end portion, said spring means being movable with said adjusting means between a plurality of adjusted positions in which said loop-shaped end portion is guided by said part and located at diiferent places of the path along which said part moves during movement of said spring-loaded member whereby said loop-shaped end portion of said spring means in diiferent adjusted positions is engaged and resiliently displaced by said part at different moments of the movement of an actuated typelever action to oppose such movement.

13. An arrangement as set forth in claim 12 wherein said part is a pin secured to said am means projecting parallel to said bar, and wherein said loop-shaped end portion is a U-shaped bent wire in which said pin is located.

14. Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters comprising, in combination, a support; a typelever action mounted on said support and including a lever; a springloaded member engaged by said lever and being movably mounted on said support to be displaced by and to resiliently oppose movement of said typelever action, said spring-loaded member including a part moving along a path during movement of said spring-loaded member; a manually settable adjusting means mounted on said support for movement between a plurality of control positions; and a spring means having a portion formed with an elongated opening in which said part is located so that said portion is held by said part in said path of said part, said spring means being connected to said adjusting means for movement with the same between a plurality of adjusted positions in which said portion is located at different places of said path of said part whereby said portion of said spring means in different adjusted positions is engaged and resiliently displaced by said part of said springloaded member in different positions of the actuated typelever action to oppose movement of the same.

15. Touch adjustment arrangement for typewriters comprising, in combination, a support; a typelever action mounted on said support and including a lever; a springloaded member engaged by said lever and being movably mounted on said support to be displaced by and to resiliently-0ppose movement of said typelever action, said spring-loaded member including a pin moving along a path during movement of said spring-loaded member; a manually settable adjusting means mounted on said support for movement between a plurality of control positions; and a spring means having a portion formed with an elongated opening in which said pin is located so that said portion is held by said pin in said path of said pin, said spring means being connected to said adjusting means formovement with the same while being guided by said pin along said path between a plurality of adjusted positions in which said portion is located at diiferent places of said path of said pin whereby said portion of said spring means in different adjusted positions is engaged and resiliently displaced by said pin of said spring-loaded member in different positions of the actuated typelever action .to oppose movement of the same.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,069,298 Avery Feb. 2, 1937 2,168,518 Dobson Aug. 8, 1939 2,660,285 Kennedy Nov. 24, 1953 

